The Panzer Diaries: Great Britain

by Deathvoltz

1944. The tide of war is changing. Millions have died on either side, but the Western Allies have planned something big. Big enough to hopefully end the war once and for all. For many, it is just another battle, another offensive; but for one young woman, her story in this war is just about to begin. This is the sequel to the first Panzer Diary, stay tuned for updates!

13. Chapt 13: A Red Dawn

Chapter 13: A Red Dawn.

3rd August 1944, 0715 hours – British Positions around Aunay-sur-Audon, France.

The dry grass crunched softly underneath Darjeeling's feet as she slowly walked around the assembly area that their tanks were situated around. She gently adjusted the shoulder strap on her Sten and wiped away a bead of sweat from her forehead. Even though it was early morning, the heat was already getting to her.

Their regiment was preparing to move on the offensive, thus the area was bustling with life in the early morning air. Men moving munitions around, whilst others quickly ate their breakfast. Darjeeling looked around for her troop. Seeing a few of the crewmen, the young officer wandered towards them and kneeled down with them. "Good morning, lads." She spoke quietly, a voice laced with a kind compassion for her men. "How are we all doing this fine morning?"

The crew of the Cromwell looked up and saluted quickly, making space for their superior. "Morning ma'am." They all replied, albeit slightly sleepily.

The woman flashed a smile. "Is everything alright?" She asked. "Everyone set for the attack?" Their commander nodded with confidence.

"Yes, Lieutenant. They can't wait to get back into the action." He spoke with tenacity in his voice, and his small grin lifted Darjeeling's tired smile into one of more enthusiasm. "How about you, ma'am? You all set?"

Chuckling softly, Darjeeling smirked. "As your Lieutenant, I am inclined to say yes." She replied. "Anyways, I need to check up on the other men. So, best of luck, I will see you all soon." As she turned round, one of the men threw a chocolate bar towards her.

"Here you go ma'am, it'll give you some energy." He stated with a cheeky smile.

Darjeeling caught it and nodded in thanks, before walking off back towards her Firefly. As she did so, a truck stopped a few meters to her left and out jumped two men. Through the corner of her eye, she saw them walk towards her, thus she stopped in her tracks and faced the two newcomers.

"Are you Lieutenant Darjeeling?" One of them asked.

"The very one." Darjeeling replied, eyeing both of them quickly. Neither of them looked as if they had seen nineteen summers. Her heart sank slightly; replacements were progressively getting younger and younger. As the war dragged on, more of the experienced crewmen in her troop were killed or injured, leaving raw, new replacements who had been rushed into circulation to replenish the fallen. This led to a decrease in combat efficiency. And this cost them time. And more importantly, lives of good, experienced men. "What do you need?" She asked, her tone softening as the words left her lips.

"We're looking for Sergeant Jones?" The taller of the duo replied. He had a babyface, but his deep voice managed to convince Darjeeling he was not underage. "We are his replacements."

Darjeeling, nodding quickly. "Ever been to tank school? All six months of it?" Seeing both of them nod, she sighed with relief. At least these two had some experience of operating in a tank; some replacements were infantrymen or logistics crew, who were given just a few days of basic training for the role they had to replace. "Right, there's your home." She pointed to the Cromwell next to her Firefly. "You will report to Sergeant Jones immediately, and he will brief you on what to do next." She spoke. "I am your troop commander. If there are any issues, you come to me if you have not consulted Sergeant Jones, as he is troop 2IC. Are we clear?"

"Yes ma'am." They replied, a little overwhelmed by her slightly firm yet authoritative tone.

"Good. I shall see you two later." Darjeeling spoke. The two saluted, and trudged off towards the Cromwell Darjeeling had pointed to. Watching the duo reach their destination and be received by the Sergeant, Darjeeling continued onwards, meeting with the men of her troop, and spending a few precious moments with them.

All this Assam took in as she held a steaming mug of tea in her hands. She watched as Darjeeling talked and interacted with her men, in which all of them received her warmly, if not enthusiastically. She smiled softly; Darjeeling was improving as an officer day by day. She was able to effectively lead her men in battle, and to ensure the objective would be taken as swiftly as possible, and with the least casualties. But what amazed Assam more was Darjeeling's care for her men. Yes, she was not too close to them, as Darjeeling knew full well any of them could die today, tomorrow, or when death decided to claim each person. But she made sure each one of them was alright. Made sure they were ready and prepared for the next battle. And through this action, she had gained the respect and admiration of her men.

"You're spacing out there, Assam." Darjeeling's voice behind her made Assam snap out of her thought. Turning around, she flashed a faux smile. "I'm just tired, that's all. Here," She lied, passing her mug of tea to the latter. "Get some tea in you."

Darjeeling nodded in thanks and sipped at the tea, catching a breather before the scheduled briefing for the attack took place. "So, are we all ready for this attack?" She asked just as Orange came back with Irene, each one of them carrying several crates of shells. Instinctively, Darjeeling put down her tea, before helping the duo unload and move the shells into the tank.

Even after the numerous times of repeating this task, Darjeeling still struggled; the shells were heavy, and each time her arms felt like buckling underneath their weight. She admired how Orange could seemingly effortlessly pick up a shell and load it into the breach in a matter of seconds as if it were nothing. "Is this one the last one?" She muttered, panting slightly as she heaved the shell towards Assam who was perched inside the tank, with her torso sticking out of the commander's hatch.

"Yes. This one is the last one." Came Oranges' reply as she took off her beret and wiped the thin layer of sweat on her forehead. Darjeeling nodded and checked her watch.

"Oh my." She exclaimed. "I'm going to be late for the briefing." She spoke as she downed the last of her tea before running off in the opposite direction. "I'll see you later." Her voice was drowned out by the rumbling of a truck that stopped yards away as soldiers jumped out of the back.

Just as Darjeeling entered the room, Major Haldsworth made eye contact with her and nodded curtly. Returning the nod, the former noticed James standing right next to the Major. He flashed a quick smile, and Darjeeling nodded in reply.

"Right, now that all of you are here, we shall go through the planned attack today. Captain Moore, if you please?" The Major stated, gesturing James to step forwards.

James nodded and he slowly moved up to the table. "Right. Our forces are here, and we have orders to push and capture Aunay-sur-Audon itself." He pointed on the map their positions. "Us, the 5th RTR, are to push into the city with support from the 1/6th Queens. Our intelligence suggests that the German 326th Division will be holding the surrounding area, so we can expect heavy resistance from infantry, as well as enemy armour in the town. On the outskirts, there will be anti-tank guns dug in along the approaches, as well as hidden guns within the town itself. So, be aware of that, and keep your eyes on a swivel."

"Do we know what calibre the guns will be sir?" One commander asked. James shook his head.

"Unfortunately, our intelligence is not sure on that. But we expect the usual composition; 75mm anti-tank guns with the occasional 88mm."

"And what of Tigers and Panthers? Do we know if any are deployed around this area?" Another asked. A murmur of agreement swept across the room. Everyone in the room knew the dire situation that could arise if even two Tigers were deployed near their vicinity. If a platoon of Panthers, let alone Tigers were deployed, supplemented with infantry and the usual complements of armour, they would be in for a bloodbath.

James sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid I cannot guarantee whether Tigers or Panthers will be present around Aunay-sur-Audon. Which is why this time, command has specified that the Fireflies will enter the cities with the Cromwells, instead of hanging near the rear of the village." He explained. "Our squadron will enter from the north, whilst the other armoured units participating will attempt a pincer maneuverer around the town. Once inside, I want the Firefly commanders to keep close contact with their troop, and to coordinate their actions accordingly."

Darjeeling thought for a moment. "Will we have sufficient infantry support?" She asked. "If we are to attack directly, we will need a lot of infantry, to keep our flanks secure." Hey eyes met James', and the pair looked into each other's' eyes momentarily.

"A and B companies of the 1/6th Queens Battalion will enter the town with us as infantry support, and elements of the 1/7th Queens Battalion will also be supporting around the flanks during the pincer maneuverer from the east and west." The latter responded quickly. "Thus, we should be covered rather well I should say." James adjusted his cap. "So, to recap; our squadron will enter the town. Once inside Lieutenant Hastings and Lieutenant Densmore will take the outer right and left flanks respectively." James pointed at the said locations on the map. "Lieutenant Darjeeling, you will take your troop into the centre locations of the town, and help eliminate any enemy armour and defensive positions around the centre of town. Afterwards, once we have secured the town, we will hold our positions and dig in along the southern edge of the town. Are we all clear on our objectives?"

"Yes sir." They all replied. James nodded curtly.

"Very good. I wish you the best of luck on this operation. You are dismissed."

As they walked out, Darjeeling turned around to look at James. As he back at her, a soft, gentle smile crossed his features and he winked at her. Darjeeling smiled and nodded in reply, before disappearing through the other side of the door.

---

3rd August, 1944. 0730 hours

Walking back out into the open, Darjeeling scanned the activity going on in front of her; all the troops were getting ready. Men loading up their weapons, the growling of the Cromwell and Firefly engines starting up. She walked over to her Firefly, and saw only Assam leaning beside the tank with a lit cigarette in her hands. "So, are we ready for this operation?" Darjeeling asked, putting a hand on her comrades' shoulder.

Assam nodded slowly, her gaze fixed to the floor. "Yeah." She muttered, albeit almost silently. Darjeeling looked at her.

"Hey, what's bothering you?"

The former looked at her superior and sighed. "Nothing. I'm fine." Assam replied. Darjeeling put an arm around her.

"You know I can tell when you're lying, right?" She whispered kindly into the latter's ear. "Tell me what's bothering you."

Assam, now visibly shaking, nodded. "The nightmares Darjey…" She mouthed, tears falling down her cheeks as she stifled her sobs. "Every time I close my eyes, I-I see it all..." She rested her head against Darjeeling's shoulder as she tried to compose herself. "A-and last-t night… I-I had another on-ne-e…" She whispered.

Darjeeling gently put an arm round her, and pull her close in a comforting hug. "What was it about?"

Assam sighed quietly, composing herself enough to form coherent sentences as she gasped for breath. "I was walking alone in a grass field… I looked up at the sky, but it was red." She whispered. "Blood red."

"What else happened?" Darjeeling questioned.

"I saw a burning tank in the distance…" Assam replied. "And as I neared it, it was a Sherman Firefly. Our Firefly." She muttered almost silently. "And I saw f-four bodies-s…" Tears ran down her cheek as Darjeeling attempted to console her. "A-And when I looked up… the s-sky st-started to rain-n blood… Our b-blood…" She wiped away the tears with her sleeve. "Something… something tells me we're going to die today…" The latter whispered, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as she spoke. "I… I don't want to d-die… but I f-feel we've ran out of chances-s…"

Darjeeling sighed, hugging her gunner, no, friend tightly as tears fell down her face as well. Hearing such words coming from her dear friend broke her heart. What could she say?

Slowly, Darjeeling formulated a suitable response to comfort her. "No Assam… we are not going to die." She whispered in reply. "We can't. Remember our promises? We have to see all of us through this war." She wrapped her arms tightly around Assam. "And we may run out chances. But as soldiers, we have to take that risk, yes?"

Assam nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

Smiling through her tears, Darjeeling looked down at her. "But until that day comes, we will take the next chance, then the next and the next. We'll keep going until we're finally out of chances. Until then, I still need you as my gunner. I need you to do what we've all trained for. Can you do that for me?"

Upon hearing the words, Assam smiled at Darjeeling and nodded. "Thank you…" She whispered, wiping away her tears as she stood up straight. "And yes, I can do that job." She spoke, as she climbed onto the turret and slid in through the commander's hatch, swiftly followed by Darjeeling.

"What took you two so long?" Came Irene's quip as she turned round to look at the two new arrivals. Darjeeling smirked.

"Sorry m'dear, Assam just needed some alone time. That's all. But we're all good now." She spoke. "Are we all ready for this attack?"

"Aye, ma'am." They all replied.

Darjeeling nodded. "Okay. Irene, start up the engines." Upon hearing the growl of the Firefly's engine, Darjeeling cracked her neck and knuckles and smiled faintly.

"Let us begin."

---

3rd August, 1944. 0730 hours – German Reserve positions near the Saint Lo Sector

Two women clad in black walked side by side one another as they approached a rather large courtyard that was laden with soldiers, vehicles of all sorts and tanks. Elements of the Panzer Lehr Division had been slowly pulled back from the front line, to allow the battered unit some time for respite and rest. However, their Tiger unit, along with some other armoured and infantry regiments had been kept near the front. They were due to be pulled out in a day or two. But now, they had been summoned by Generalleutnant Bayerlein for some reason.

"What do you think he's called us in for?" Maho questioned, turning to Erwin as the latter fumbled for her cigarette packet as they walked. Seeing Erwin shrug, the latter smirked. "Well, I suppose we'll find out together then." Although she asked the question, the two of them already could envision the reason they were being summoned. It could only mean one thing.

Upon entering the building, the duo headed up the wooden staircase, the oak case creaking each time their boots made contact with it. As they walked down the corridor, they turned and entered a door on the left.

The inside of the room was well lit; each surface on every table was either littered with maps and charts of the surrounding area, or had signallers and radio operators working on their radio sets. Behind the centre desk stood a rather tall man wearing the uniform with the insignia denoting his high rank. Looking up from his paperwork, he saw the two ladies and nodded in greeting. "Hauptmann Brandt. Oberleutnant Ketler."

Maho and Erwin both stood rigidly to attention and raised their right arms in a Nazi salute.

"Heil Hitler!"

Ever since the 20th July bomb plot, Hitler had become much more paranoid of the army. Not only did he make every member of the Wehrmacht re-swear the oath of allegiance; he enacted a decree that meant the Hitler salute replaced the traditional military salute.

The general replied in kind. "Heil Hitler!" He then flashed a smile and took a map from underneath another one. "I'm glad you two can join me. I have something to discuss."

"And what would that be, Generalleutnant?" Erwin question as she surveyed the map, her blue eyes scanning every detail she could find.

The former straightened up his attire, making eye contact with the young officer. "I need you and Oberleutnant Ketler to support the counterattack being led by elements of our armoured battalion around Aunay-sur-Audon." He pointed at a town a few kilometres south east of Saint Lo. Instinctively, the two officers took out their maps began to annotate and label them thoroughly. "British forces have been reported to have began an attack to take the town. We know that elements of the 7th Armoured Division will be supporting the attack. With the majority of the Tiger company in repairs, as you two would know, I can only spare four of the Tigers from your platoon. Your objective is to support the counter attack, in which some of Panther and Panzer IV tanks can be spared. How you stop the attack is up to you." His gaze fell onto Maho. "Can I trust you and Hauptmann Brandt to see this mission to its successful completion?"

Maho nodded. "Yes sir. You can count on us." She muttered quietly. "One question though, sir."

"Go ahead."

She paused for a moment, attempting to word her next sentence correctly. "Will we have any infantry support when we are moved to that location?" She asked quietly. Bayerlein paused for a moment, before answering.

"I've attached a company of soldiers to accompany you for the counteroffensive." He sighed seeing Erwin's look. "I'm sorry, but that's the most I can spare at the moment." He smiled faintly at the two of them. "Alright, you two are dismissed. Good luck."

Maho and Erwin nodded, before performing the Nazi salute once more, and the general returned it swiftly. Once outside, Maho sighed as Erwin passed her a lit cigarette. "He doesn't have the troop numbers, does he?" She muttered as the duo walked back towards their parked Tigers. "This campaign has literally broken the back of our division. Think about it; most of the panzergrenadier companies are very understrength. We have to combine companies together to form a unit that remotely resembles one, and we still do not have sufficient numbers."

Erwin, taking her officers cap off and placing it under her arm, smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, I have to agree on that. However, orders are orders. We have to follow them, no matter what."

The former scoffed and threw a frown at Erwin. "I've known you for all these years Erwin." Maho spoke. "You don't agree with this mission either. Tell me truthfully." Erwin opened her mouth to speak, but her mind decided against it. She sighed, put on her cap and walked towards her Tiger. This wasn't the time to argue; orders were orders. Regardless how of how she felt, Erwin knew personal opinions had to be mitigated.

As the young officer slowly soldiered off and told the rest of their platoon, Maho climbed up onto the turret, her knees making contact with the scratched, cold metal. "Hey Erika, we're going on a mission."

Erika popped her head out. "Where are we going?" She queried. Seeing Maho's expression etched on her face, she sighed and nodded. "But we don't have the numbers." She whispered. "Who else is going with us?"

"Erw- I mean Hauptmann Brandt is, along with Hassler and Batel." Maho replied swiftly as Erika jumped down from the turret and headed to the front of the Tiger, where the rest of the crew were sitting down and playing cards.

"Alright ladies, on your feet. We're going on a mission!" Erika stated, tapping Christian, Felix and Ernst on the shoulder in turn. "Let's show the Tommies what we are made of!"

Upon hearing this, as well as the muttered grumbling of them not having enough rest and the sharp yet playful reply of Erika threatening to kick them into the tank, Maho couldn't help but smile faintly at the somewhat enthusiasm Erika had within her. Yes, she was wracked full of insecurities and worries, just like herself. But Erika knew she had to motivate the men. As the 2IC in the tank, as well as being one of the NCOs and not an officer, she could somewhat relate to them on a more personal level than Maho could. But nevertheless, as company 2IC, Maho had the responsibility of keeping the troops focused, and kept working along side the NCOs to keep the unit as combat efficient and effective as they could.

And that, she did well. Many of the crewmen when she was with the 505th Heavy Tank Battalion back at the Eastern Front admired her skills as a superb tactician and being able to anticipate the likelihood of events that would transpire in a battle, resulting in major victories or if they were operating defensively, the outcome were usually pyrrhic victories or even a complete stall of the attack for the opposing forces. Her company were regarded as one of the most combat effective and efficient units on the Eastern Front, and whenever they were attached to a division, it would've been a morale booster for the men that they would be serving with. And even now, the soldiers of the Panzer Lehr Division still held her with that high regard, especially after hearing her involvement in the last stand at Soborwka back during the Battle of Kursk. However exaggerated the claims were, some truth still remained; she did nearly stall the enemy advance single handed.

"Felix, do we have enough shells to deal with the enemy armour?" Maho asked briskly whilst turning on the radio set and putting her headphones on. As she fiddled with the buttons and dials, the engine of the Tiger grumbled into life; the infamous growl of filled the interior of the tank once more.

Felix nodded briskly. "Yes Oberleutnant. We restocked earlier whilst you were being briefed." Maho flashed a smile.

"Good. Here is the plan; we are to help take part in a counter attack against British forces near Aunay-sur-Audon." She took out her map and they all studied it, passing it to each crewmember in turn as she spoke. "Our platoon, as well as some other Panthers and Panzer IVs from our division, as well as a company of infantry and help the defending force repel the attack. From a personal point of view, I doubt we'll be able to sustain the momentum to hold the British forces for long, but we can stall their advance for as long as possible and inflict casualties." As Erika handed the map back, Maho looked round her crew. "Are we ready to do our part?" She asked.

"Aye, Oberleutnant." They all replied.

"Right. Let's show the Tommies we aren't finished yet." Maho spoke, as she put on her headphones.

"All units, follow my lead. Move out."

---

3rd August, 1944. 1030 hours – British Front Lines

"Clear!"

"Fire!"

The 17-pounder gun exploded into life as the shell screamed out of the barrel and exploded in front of the foxhole that contained a machine gun spraying lead downrange towards the British troops. Darjeeling could see the aftermath; two mangled Germans lay dead, their entrails torn out all around them.

Their squadron was advancing across a field towards their first objective, but had come under heavy anti-tank and machinegun fire. The German anti-tank guns had already claimed their first victims; two Cromwells lay smoking and burning a couple hundred meters back.

Green tracers and bullets flew everywhere, as the British troops pressed themselves tightly behind the tanks, using the armoured behemoths as cover from the shower of lead that was being fired their way. Each burst of German machinegun fire was met with a reply from the coaxial machinegun of each tank, or in Darjeeling's' case, her turret mounted machinegun.

A shell shrieked past them, followed by two more in quick succession as one impacted the ground and ricocheted off, the other two overshot and exploded a dozen meters behind them.

Darjeeling ducked as another shell screamed above her head. "Who's got eyes on the AT gun?" She shouted into the mic.

"I see it Lieutenant! Two of them, 2 o'clock, 600 meters!"

"Take him out!" Darjeeling ordered, and the Cromwell to her left fired, smoke covering the silhouette of the tank momentarily. She watched as the round exploded directly where the guns were, and the subsequent explosion meant it had hit its mark. A second Cromwell opened up on the other gun, and it was quickly dispatched with relative ease.

Darjeeling wiped the dust from her eyes, but a flash of light and the shriek of another shell caught her attention. "Assam, AT gun on your 10 o'clock, 500 meters!"

The turret of the Firefly quickly traversed as Assam lined up her shot. "Target sighted!" She shouted.

"Fire!"

Assam pressed the firing pedal and the breech ejected another shell onto the floor. Through her sights, she smirked as the shell exploded, sending the fragments of what was the gun flying into the air.

Darjeeling smirked. "Good shot m'dear. All tanks, start firing at the remaining positions, then let the infantry clean up."

"Roger that Lieutenant."

"Alright lads, let Jerry have it!"

The formation of Cromwells and Fireflies began letting rip with their coaxial machine guns, sending bullets flying downrange towards the German positions. The enemy tried to fire back, but those who did were cut down by the murderous stream of bullets. Soon, the Germans began to fall back. One or two at first, then dozens began to abandon their foxholes and flee to the town just across the field.

Darjeeling pulled the bolt on her machinegun and opened fire; short, accurate bursts of bullets hit their mark. The bullets hit the soldiers dead in the back, a puff of red spraying out of them as they collapsed onto the hard earth.

She then turned to face the infantry. "You want some action? You've got it!" She shouted, and the infantry charged forwards, emptying their Lee-Enfield's and Stens at the retreating Germans, and cutting down those who tried to fight back as the squadron advanced through the field, past the hedgerow and into the town. Darjeeling smirked. For once, everything was going to plan. However, something nagged at the back of her mind; things were going too well for her liking.

"Okay, Williams, you're with me. Atterson, Barnes, take the right flank. We need to secure the centre of town, whilst the rest of the squadron takes the left flank." Darjeeling ordered. Hearing their acknowledgements, she nodded. "Irene, forwards and take the next left.

"Roger that, Lieutenant. This is where the fun begins." She quipped, as the Firefly began crawling forwards into the next street, with her partner in tow behind her. They had travelled no further than a dozen meters when the shrill shriek of artillery shells began to rain down towards them. Darjeeling's eyes widened.

"Take cover!" She screamed, as the first shell landed a few meters in front of them, sending rocks and debris flying everywhere.

Darjeeling ducked into the safety of the Firefly, before emerging out, only to duck back down as the house in front began spraying machinegun fire towards them. The bullets caught a British soldier in the head; he flew backwards a few feet and collapsed on the ground with a massive spatter of blood and brain.

"Orange, HE round now!" Darjeeling shouted as Assam began to line up her shot on the window.

"We got incoming infantry!" Assam shouted as she peered through her sight. "Come on, Orange!"

The latter quickly shoved a shell into the breech. "Clear!"

Through the smoke, Darjeeling saw the Germans take cover and begin firing at the British soldiers as a firefight erupted between the opposing troops. Two British soldiers dropped down, one writhing in agony as the other was dragged to cover by his comrades. Darjeeling aimed her .50cal at the Germans and opened up; her bullets tore through the wreckage they used for cover and hit a few of the enemy soldiers as blood sprayed from their wounds. "Assam, hit it!" She shouted.

As Assam fired, the Cromwell also let out a shudder as two rounds impacted the house in front, causing a massive explosion of bricks and dust. Through the dust, the silhouette of a human dropped from the first floor as several others stumbled out of the house, covered in blood and shrapnel. One fell to the ground as the remaining few stumbled around, screaming in agony only to be cut down by a hail of gunfire from Assam's coaxial.

Irene smirked as she revved the engine, the Firefly crawling forwards once the last of the Germans were eliminated. "That was some fine shooting, Assam." She exclaimed. Assam faintly smiled.

"Thanks, Irene. I try my best." She muttered quietly.

Darjeeling sighed a breath of relief. Checking that the infantry was still following behind, she quickly reloaded another belt of ammunition onto her machinegun. She ducked as another artillery shell landed on top of the roof of a house, showering them with fragments of roof tiles and wooden support beams. "Orange, I want an AP shell on the double. Assam, keep your eyes peeled for any movement." Suddenly, the radio blared into life.

"Lieutenant! We have engaged Tigers and Panthers! I repeat, we have spotted and engaged Tigers and Panthers and there are infantry reinforcements on their way too! They've wiped out most of C troop at the south end of the town!"

Darjeeling sighed in dismay. "Roger that, we'll take care of it." She looked at her crew. "We got armour incoming. Tigers and Panthers."

The atmosphere in the tank dropped. Assam shifted nervously in her seat as Orange quickly loaded another Amour Piercing round into the breech.

The Firefly rounded the corner and stopped, and Williams' Cromwell took a larger turn onto the right side of the street before doing the same. Darjeeling scanned the street. "Williams, do you see anything?" She asked.

"Er, negative, Lieutenant." He responded quickly. "Not a peep- wait… I see movement at the end-"

Darjeeling caught the muzzle flash and then the shell impacted the Cromwell at supersonic speed. The sound of metal punching through metal, along with the shower of sparks was ear splitting as a massive fire erupted from every crevice of the tank.

"Irene reverse, reverse! Get us some cover!" Darjeeling shouted, and the Firefly crawled backwards so that only the frontal hull and turret poked out from the corner. "Assam, do you see the target? It's a damn Panther."

The latter adjusted her traversing and elevation. "I see it. It's pulling back. They know we've spotted them." She stated quickly. "Shall I fire?"

Darjeeling nodded. "Take it out."

Assam pressed the firing pedal, and a seventeen-pounder shell exploded out of the barrel and sailed towards the reversing Panther. It scraped the side of the turret, creating a shower of sparks as it ricocheted into the nearby building, knocking bricks and dust into the air. "Shit! Another round, Orange, another round now!" She shouted as the Panther stopped, and its turret began traversing in its direction.

Orange fumbled slightly due to the awkward angle she needed to reach the shell, but she quickly loaded it into the breech, making a scraping, clanking sound as it was loaded. "Clear!" She stated.

The former lined up the sights onto the Panther, and fired again. She smirked as the shell hit the frontal mantlet of the tank, and going straight through into the interior. "Target destroyed." She stated, breathing a sigh of relief that came in several ragged gasps.

Darjeeling saw the commander, and presumably the gunner scrambled out of the commander's hatch. Her hands closed on the trigger of her machinegun, and she let off a small burst. The bullets found their mark; two bodies crashed onto the floor and slumped down motionless. Seeing that the vicinity was clear, Darjeeling breathed a sigh of relief. "Irene, forwards." She ordered, and the Firefly rolled forwards, with the infantry closely behind, and then the Cromwells of Barnes and Atterson, who had re-joined them after clearing the right flank.

The convoy rolled forwards towards the centre of the town. Darjeeling's eyes darted to and from each window, each possible location for a machinegun nest, or a hidden anti-tank position. "Keep your eyes peeled lads, watch for any movement in the windows." Their advance slowed to a crawl as each person scanned the buildings on either side. The area was eerily quiet. An open window swung loosely on its hinges, squeaking each time the wind gently blew through the street. The British soldiers tightened their grips on their rifles and submachineguns, each nervously looking to and fro for any sort of movement.

The young female officer rubbed her eyes and peered through her binoculars to get a better look. Suddenly, her eyes caught movement through the shop windows opposite small central square. An Anti-Tank gun inside the desolate interior of what was once a bar. Darjeeling saw the silhouettes pause momentarily, before they began to frantically rotate the gun towards their direction. Clearly, they had expected the British to come from one direction. They were wrong.

"Assam, enemy movement at our 12 o'clock. Inside the wine store. Fire a HE round into it." She ordered. "All tanks, hold up here. Barnes, clear once we open fire, wait for a few seconds then open up on Jerry."

"Roger that, Lieutenant."

Orange quickly fetched a High Explosive round and loaded it into the breech. "Clear!" She shouted. Darjeeling put a calmly hand on her gunner's shoulder.

"Fire."

The massive muzzle flash blinded her for a moment, but Darjeeling heard the splinter of broken glass flying everywhere, accompanied by a massive explosion; the hard thuds of brick and stone hitting the floor below. And then, a moment of silence.

As her sight returned, the silhouettes of those surviving staggered out of the smoke ridden square. Her ears heard the agonising cries of pain, and the screams of agony as she saw the result of their handiwork; the German soldiers were bloodied head to toe with shrapnel sticking and burning their flesh. Darjeeling's stomach turned as she saw one German crawl out of the dust ridden smoke, with a piece of glass nearly as big as her index finger embedded in his left eye. Blood ran down his face as he screamed in pain and tried to pull the glass out of his eye, only in succeeding in slicing his fingers open on the sharp edges.

"Take them out." She spoke to the accompanying troops. "Put them out of their misery." They quickly complied, fanning out from behind the cover of the Firefly and unloading a few rounds into the still writing Germans.

A sudden explosion slammed Darjeeling into the side of the hatch, nearly knocking the wind out of her. The impact covered the immediate area with dust, stones and debris, followed by the sounds of screaming and cries. Then the ominous squeal of tank tracks. Out of the dust, the silhouette of German tanks slowly crawled from the two side streets connecting the main square as the accompanying infantry opened fire on the stunned British troops.

"Where the hell did they come from?!"

"Everyone, get back!"

"Tiger! Fall back!"

"They're everywhere! How did they get here so suddenly?!"

"They were supposed to be at the southern end of the town!"

The radio burst into panicked and disarrayed shouts of retreat and orders to fire. Darjeeling's blood froze as the dust settled and she could see the Tiger, just peeking out of the end of the side street. "Irene, reverse! Now!" She screamed, just as the other tank, a Panzer IV, opened fire. Its shell smashed into Barnes' Cromwell. Flames spurted out of the hatches and every open gap as the ammunition cooked off; she could feel the intense heat on the back of her neck.

The Firefly began to crawl backwards, just as a second shot from the Panzer IV followed moments after the first. This time, the shell hit Patterson's Cromwell, leaving a small, black smoking hole in the left side of the turret. Since both Cromwell's were behind Darjeeling's Firefly, they blocked the street, leaving a gap too small for the Firefly to fit through. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw this, and a terrifying realisation dawned upon the young woman.

They were trapped.

The British troops put up a withering hail of fire, cutting down several German soldiers in the process, but each bullet eventually began to find their mark. The Panzer IV's turret slowly traversed to aim at the British troops still firing.

"Assam, take out the Panzer IV!" Darjeeling yelled.

Assam hesitated. "But the Tig-" She began.

"I know! I've got an idea!" The former replied. "Irene, traverse right when I tell you!"

"Aye Lieutenant!" She shouted back.

"Fire!"

Assam pressed the firing pedal the shell exploded out of the barrel. Out of the smoke she saw sparks as the shell impacted the tank to their left. However, a quick glance to her right saw the Tiger, now in the open, with its turret traversing towards them. "Irene, now!" Darjeeling screamed as Orange shoved another shell into the breech.

"Clear!" She shouted.

The Firefly shuddered as it traversed, its turret rotating to face the Tiger in a split second. For a moment, time seemed to slow as Darjeeling looked at the Tiger, with its gun baring down on her and the Firefly she was in. Her eyes blinked with each muzzle flash from the rifles and sub machine guns going off from both sides of the square. Each bullet hitting the hull of the tank making a dull pinging sound, with sparks coming off as the ricocheted off. She turned to face the Tiger. Her eyes met the opposing commander and saw it.

The black, neat, almost immaculate attire.

The black sidecap.

Without even needing to think, she knew who it was. Her hands tightened round the side of the cupola as she yelled the order to fire. Darjeeling saw the muzzle flash from the Tiger, but before she could realise what had happened, the Firefly shook violently, throwing Darjeeling's head into the commander's hatch.

---

She opened her eyes; black dots dancing around and plaguing her vision as she slumped into the interior of the tank as her legs seemingly gave way. Her vision was extremely blurry and all time had seemed to stop. All she could hear was an intense, high pitched ringing which drowned out the noise of the hellfire that was occurring outside. Dazedly, she looked around the smoke and debris filled inside of the Firefly.

Assam was experiencing somewhat the same effects as her eyes, albeit unfocused, met Darjeeling's.

"I-Is everyone alright?" She asked, despite not being able to hear anything apart from the deafening ringing sound in her ear. As she attempted to sit up, a sharp, shooting burning pain plagued her abdomen and left leg. Looking down slowly, a bloody sight met her eyes. Her trousers were sliced open and flayed in several places, with pieces of cloth missing. Several small chunks of metal were embedded into her thigh and calf, like little metal peaks sticking out from the surface of her skin. Blood ran down freely down her leg and onto the metal floor of the tank. It's sickly, sweet metallic tang filling the cramped interior of the Firefly. Darjeeling's hand, seemingly, on its own accord, moved to touch her side. Upon lifting it to her eye level, all she saw was a hand drenched in red.

"As-Assam…" Darjeeling whispered. "We… We need to get out of her-" She trailed off abruptly as her gaze fell onto the driver's seat.

Or, what was left of it.

The driver's seat was spattered with red, the liquid slowly dripping down the back, sides and hull of where Irene was. A smoking hole in the front of the tank exposed the white shimmer of the outside light into the interior of the Firefly. On the floor lay what looked like a severed leg, with blood still flowing out, forming a pool around where the limb lay.

Seconds later, the motionless body of Irene slumped off the seat and onto the floor of the Firefly. Her torso riddled with metal shrapnel; blood dripping from the multiple wounds that perforated her body and arms. She gasped weakly, spitting blood from her mouth as she feebly looked up at Darjeeling, their eyes meeting momentarily. "Go…" She whispered, as more blood dripped from her lips and down the side of her face. "Get… o-out of here-e…" Her voice trembled as she coughed, red spilling from her mouth as she took another ragged breath.

Darjeeling couldn't help but stare in shock as the life in Irene's eyes slowly faded away. Only to be replaced by pale brown pupils that looked but did not see. She gazed at the lifeless body of her driver. No. Her friend.

The silence inside the tank was shattered by the reality of the war raging outside and the ringing sound in her ear gave way to the deafening roar of rifle and machine gun fire. Darjeeling blinked as the reality of the situation came crashing down upon her. "Assam, get Orange and go!" She shouted, as she hoisted herself up. An excruciating pain shot up her leg, but the adrenaline now coursing in her veins meant she was able to somehow climb her way out of the commander's hatch, down the rear of the Firefly and flop onto the ground with a hard thud. Getting up, she took cover behind the stricken Firefly as bullets pinged off the front of its hull. She peeked her head round, and saw Assam drag Orange to a pile of rubble to the side of the road, where some other soldiers were taking cover. Darjeeling hesitated for a moment, before half running, half diving behind the same piece of cover the soldiers and the remainder of her crew were behind.

"Is-Is Orange all right?" Darjeeling shouted, ducking as bullets rained down only inches from them, ricocheting off the wall and cobbled floor of the street. Assam turned around to face her. The pale, distraught look on her face said it all. The former's eyes fell onto Orange.

A bandage was being applied to her abdomen by a medic as blood gushed out nonstop, seeping onto the ground below them. One of the soldiers quickly handed the medic another bandage, who in turn tossed it to Darjeeling. "Stop the bleeding in her leg!" He shouted. Darjeeling looked down and a terrible sight filled her eyes; Oranges' legs were slashed in multiple places as blood spurted out of the wounds. Without hesitating, she put the bandage on the biggest wound, applying pressure to stem the bleeding as the white bandage became increasingly stained with red.

"D-Darjey…"

The latter looked up to Orange, who smiled and blinked weakly. Her forehead glistened with sweat as she leaned her head back against the wall.

"Stay with me Orange. Come on, stay with me." Darjeeling muttered shakily, giving a light tap on Oranges' lacerated leg as Assam injected some morphine into her friend.

Orange sighed, and quietly chuckled before coughing and red spilled down the front of her uniform. "Light me a cigarette, will you? Darjey?" She whispered, her chest rising and falling erratically as she struggled to draw breath.

Darjeeling looked up and blinked in almost disbelief, attempting to comprehend the words her dear comrade had just uttered out of her mouth. Even now, as her life ebbed away, Orange found one more chance to make a dire situation somewhat humorous. With one hand continuing to stem the bleeding wound, she fumbled with the other and produced a battered packet of cigarettes. With another soldier helping her stem the flow, she took out a lighter. The click, followed by a brilliant dancing yellow flame emitted from it as she slowly lit the cigarette. All the while beside them, the battle raged on; the crack of rifle fire, bursts of machine gun and sub machine gun fire echoed around the streets as the British fought desperately against the sudden German counterattack. Men taking cover behind rubble, walls, anything that could protect them from the bullets screaming past them. A metallic pinging sound was heard as the soldier next to Darjeeling fell; blood spraying onto the back of the latter's head as he collapsed onto the ground, a bullet hole in his helmet. Through the corner of her eye, she saw one soldier grab the radioman, but what was said she did not hear. All she could focus on was on Orange, and the red that had now spread to most of her front, and was forming a small puddle on the ground beneath them.

The young officers' pale hand shook as she handed Orange her cigarette. The latter slowly took it between her fingers and smiled faintly. No words were said as she put it in her mouth and inhaling it deeply. A wisp of grey, silvery smoke, almost like a ghost emanated from her as she exhaled slowly. Orange smiled again, looking first at Assam. Her gaze then turned to Darjeeling.

"Thank you…" She mouthed, as she lowered the still burning cigarette and dropped it on the ground. She sighed once more; coughing slightly as red dribbled from the side of her mouth. Her eyelids slowly began to close. Seeing this, Darjeeling reached over and squeezed Oranges' hand gently.

"No, stay with me Orange. Stay with me!" She spoke, her voice almost rising to a shout of desperation as tears welled up in her eyes. Assam, who was applying pressure to her friends' abdomen with both hands, stared blankly as she saw Oranges' eyelids flicker once, before gently closing for the last time. Her hand slipped slowly from her leg and down onto the ground. The medic put two bloody fingers to her neck, in search of a pulse. Moments later, he sighed.

"She's gone."

Darjeeling stared at Orange. Her hand slowly released the pressure on the latter's leg, and watched as the blood soaked on her hand dripped onto the ground and also ran down her arm. She slowly reached out and removed the dog tag around Oranges' neck, just as a soldier ran over towards them.

"We need to fall back now! Artillery is going to hit this area!"

The latter felt two arms pick her up and drag her to her feet. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Her eyes remained transfixed on the body that lay in a pool of blood meters from her as other soldiers got up from the positions and turned towards them, running to get away from the imminent artillery barrage. Darjeeling turned her head, and her eyes fell on the Firefly. Their knocked out Firefly. Everything seemed surreal. This could not be happening. It couldn't be. She felt another pair of hands help her up into a truck. Everything seemed to blur into one. It took her a moment to realise she was in the confines of a military ambulance. Turning to her left, she saw Assam beside her. Their eyes made contact. Her face was a sheet of white. The look of utter shock and disbelief, etched with loss, pain, confusion, hurt and anger permeated her blank stare. As the doors were slammed shut, the shrieking of shells flying overhead, the explosion almost like pretty orange lights dancing in the distance the ambulance sped away, with the retreating troops following behind. Darjeeling blinked, staring blankly out of the small, rectangular windows.

None of this seemed real. It was almost as if it were all a dream. She looked down at her hands; they were shaking and covered in red. The skin beneath was white as a ghost. Her eyelids flickered as darkness seemingly engulfed her. She just wanted it all to end.

She wanted it all to be over.

---

3rd August, 1944. 2120 hours – British Reserve Positions

Darjeeling's eyes snapped open as she jumped and sat up, stifling a scream that nearly emanated from her mouth. Short, ragged, panicked breaths as her eyes darted around the new surroundings she found herself in. Her eyes met the dim lights that hung above her head. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, rows of beds slowly focused into her vision. It took her a moment to realise where she was; a field hospital near their reserve positions. Each and every single bed her eyes laid upon had an occupant. Some had bandages on their heads. Others had their limbs bandaged, or were missing limbs completely.

She slowly heaved herself upright, albeit with a lot of pain shooting down her side as she winced at the hot, burning stabbing sensation. Upon removing the blanket that covered her, Darjeeling noticed the bandages that covered both her legs. She quickly checked beneath her shirt, and sure enough, another large amount of bandages covered her left side, with a faint blood stain where the red liquid had seeped through the first layer or two of the bandaging. She tried to move her legs. Although it was possible to, a sharp piercing pain convinced the young officer to stop persuading movement in her lower limbs as she stifled a gasp of pain. As she did so, the memories of the afternoon came seeping back into her mind.

The flash as the shell impacted the Firefly.

The smell of fresh blood penetrating her nostrils.

The lifeless eyes of Orange and Irene staring up at her.

The blood in her veins froze as the sudden, terrible truth dawned upon Darjeeling. They were dead.

Two of her friends were dead.

Darjeeling stared at the wall opposite her, a shocked, yet also blank expression written on her face. It couldn't be real. Her friends can't be dead.

She slowly sank down into her bed, calmly put her pillow in front of her face, before screaming as loudly as she could into it. Luckily for the others, the pillow muffled the sound by a large amount, but Darjeeling just screamed into it, as the feelings of pain, loss, hurt, confusion, agony, devastation flowed into her. Her fingers scrunched up the edges of the pillow tightly as the screaming dissolved into a frenzy of stifled sobbing and crying. She curled up into a ball on the bed, hugging the pillow as tightly as she could as tears poured down her face, onto her cheeks and then onto the pillow itself. She couldn't believe it. Two of the closest people she knew and cared about were now dead. By her hands. It was her flawed strategical thinking, her own misjudgement, that caused this to happen. She pressed her face harder into the pillow, in a futile attempt to stifle the sobs that emanated from her. It was her fault they, her best friends in the world, were now dead. It was all her fault.

Darjeeling suddenly felt someone slowly sit down beside her on the bed. Without looking to see who it was she turned her back to them. "Go away!" She shouted into the pillow, before her stern voice dissipated back into quiet sobs of despair. "L-leave me alone…" She whispered. Only when she felt a warm, gentle hand touch her shoulder she turned around to face the person on her bed. "A-Assam…?"

The latter smiled sadly. Although some of her face and head was bandaged up, it was evident that she herself had been crying as of late. Darjeeling gingerly sat up, took one look at Assam and buried her face into Assam's shoulder, stifling her sobs as Assam gently put an arm round her, tears dripping down her cheeks as the two of them silently consoled one another of their shared loss.

"It's my fault their gone…" Darjeeling whispered, as Assam pulled her into a tight hug and shook her head.

"No Darjey…" She replied, letting a tear drip down her cheek as she spoke. "It wasn't your fault. It never was, and never will be." She gently pulled Darjeeling close to her, allowing her distraught friend to cry into her shoulder. "You, you did your best." Assam mouthed. "We did the best we could have."

"No Assam." Darjeeling looked up at the latter. "They are dead. Because of me!" She almost shouted before collapsing back onto Assam in another wave of silent sobbing. Her body quaked as tears silently slid down her face and onto her friend as Assam gently held Darjeeling close, frantically trying not to tear up herself as her arms wrapped around her friend. "They wouldn't have died in vain, Darjey." She whispered. "We-We'll make sure of that…"

Darjeeling wept silently into Assam's shoulder as she slowly nodded. The situation seemed to have unfolded itself in her mind; Both Orange and Irene were dead. There was nothing that could change that. And that by her own actions as the commander, it had led to their demise. But oh, how she wished it was not real. A part of her mind wished this was all a nightmare, one that she would awaken from her slumber, and be able to look upon the faces of her comrades once more.

To hear Irene's quippy, playful voice joke around.

To feel the warm, kind presence of Orange whenever they were together, stuck in the confines of the Firefly.

But she knew it was not to be. And that it would never be. They were gone.

Sent to an eternal blackness; an eternal sleep that knew no end.

---

17th August 1944, 0730 hours – British Positions at Aunay-sur-Audon

The troop truck stopped outside the building designated as the headquarters, its tires screeching to a halt before a group of soldiers, two female, slowly got out of the back and onto the cobbled ground before them. As the rest of the soldiers gathered their weapons and adorned their helmets, the two women slowly produced a black beret from their pockets and put them on their heads. As the blonde gestured for the other female, also with blonde hair, but not tied in a bun, to enter, she paused and took in the rather familiar surroundings of the town square. Exactly two weeks ago, she was at this very location. Thoughts began to swirl into her head, tempting to cloud her visions with horrifying memories, but she quickly shook them away and walked in moments after. The wounds on her leg were not completely healed, but the doctors, following her insistence on returning to the front line, decided her wounds were healed to the point that allowed her to return.

Upon entering the building, they were directed upstairs to the first room on the left. The two women stood behind the closed door, looking at each other, as though attempting to persuade the other to knock. Eventually, the taller blonde relented, and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Came the swift reply.

The duo opened the door, the two women slowly entered the vicinity of the room. The interior of the room was littered with maps and charts, either scattered on the table with adorned the centre of the room or pinned on the wall. Near the walls situated several more tables, some with more piles of documents and reports, or radio sets. An officer stood behind the desk, studying one of the maps intently. He slowly raised his gaze to the two women in front of her, before a smile crossed his features.

Both women stood to attention and saluted. "Lieutenant Darjeeling and Corporal Assam reporting for duty, sir." Darjeeling spoke, as the officer walked over towards them and shook their hands warmly."

"Elizabeth, Assam, its jolly good to have you two back." James replied warmly, his gaze quickly falling onto Darjeeling before focusing back on the two of them. "As the two of you are back, I hazard that your injuries are healed?"

"For the most part sir." Darjeeling responded quickly. "What are our orders?" She asked. "What is the situation on the front?"

James smirked. "Always wanting to be on top of things, eh, Elizabeth?" He smiled faintly, as he dusted some dirt and dust off his cap. "As you may have noticed, we've captured Aunay-sur-Audon, and we have driven the Germans around five miles from the area. From our intelligence reports, the Panzer Lehr Division has been fought to an absolute standstill, and have suffered very heavy casualties. Our orders at this moment in time are to hold here and resupply, before heading off back to the frontlines in a day or two."

"What about the two of us, sir?" Assam asked. "We… we need replacements for a loader and driver, as well as a new Firefly." Her voice wavered slightly as she continued her sentence."

James sighed and nodded. "I'm really sorry about your loss, I genuinely am." He spoke, his voice becoming much softer and gentle. "We've managed to recover the Firefly, and it has been repaired. The replacements have already arrived and have been assigned to the crews who require them." He looked at his watch, before flashing a smile. "Corporal, I'm assigning you with Lieutenant Darjeeling, as the two of you make an intricate team. I think it would be wise for you to meet the new replacements and to inform them their commander has arrived and will be there shortly."

Assam nodded. "Of course, sir. I will be on my way." With that, she quickly flashed a smile to Darjeeling, before leaving promptly and closing the door behind her.

As the door clicked shut, Darjeeling, before realising what she had done, threw her arms around James, who, evidently surprised at her sudden move, froze for a moment before wrapping his arms around the latter's waist. For a moment, they silently embraced, as Darjeeling rested her head against his chest and heard the gentle thump of his heart in her ears. "I've missed you…" She whispered, as James slowly nodded pulled her closer. "I have as well, Elizabeth." He replied softly, caressing her cheek gently with his free hand. The two of them looked at each other, their eyes searching deeply and longingly, almost into the others' soul, before their lips met tentatively.

A rush of emotions flooded Darjeeling's mind as she lost herself to the moment. Time seem to stop for her as her arms wrapped themselves around James' neck. This was total bliss. A heaven. A heaven compared to the hell that had unfolded in the last weeks prior. She wanted it to last an eternity. Moments after they broke away momentarily, a deep breath emanating from Darjeeling as she tightened her hold on James. The latter ran his hands down the curve of the young officer before their lips met once more as a pair of hands slid down to Darjeeling's waist. She responded by gently running her tongue against James' lips softly; totally immersed in the moment.

The moment seemed to last an eternity, as the two slowly pulled away from one another. Darjeeling smiled softly, once again resting her head against his chest. She stayed there for a moment, savouring the little time she had with the person she dearly cared for and loved. This only lasted for an instant, as voices heading up the stairs caused the two of them to quickly move away. As Darjeeling headed for the door, James put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm so glad you are back Elizabeth. To be able to see you once again." He spoke, a soft smile crossing his features as Darjeeling turned around and smirked.

"I'm glad to be able to see you too." She replied softly, before slowly exiting the room just as several other men walked into it. Upon exiting the building, she quickly placed her black beret back on her head. Looking at the square, which now housed several Cromwells and Fireflies, she quickly spotted Assam, who was sat on the engine block of what she presumed was their Firefly. Gradually, she made her way towards the Firefly, and she saw two new crewmen, both also female, standing there with cups of tea in their hands. Two more cups of hot, steaming tea lay on the engine deck. Noticing Darjeeling's presence, Assam smiled faintly.

"Look sharp girls, your commander has arrived." She spoke softly, turning her head to face the young officer. Both women quickly turned round to face Darjeeling, and saluted, in which she promptly returned.

"Lance Corporal Diane Edwards." The taller of the two replacements quickly replied. She had light brown hair, tied up in a side bun. Her pale, soft, brown eyes looked gently over at Darjeeling. "I'm your replacement loader. How should I address you, Lieutenant…?"

Darjeeling smiled softly as she looked at Diane. "Darjeeling. Elizabeth Darjeeling." She responded, although somewhat curtly. Something about Diane caught her off guard. Her calm, gentle demeanour matched almost perfectly someone she knew. Darjeeling felt a lump rise in her throat, but she quickly quashed it. Turning to face the second woman, another smile, though slightly forced, crossed her features. "And you?" She asked gently.

The other woman smirked. "Lance Corporal Davis. Carolyn Davis." She replied, a somewhat strong, northern accent emanating from her words as Carolyn spoke. She was about half a head smaller than Diane, and her blonde hair was neatly tied up underneath the black beret on her head. "I'm the driver. Nice to meet you, Lieutenant."

Darjeeling's eyes widened slightly as she acknowledged the greeting from Carolyn. A surreal feeling washed up in her. It couldn't be true. Although different people, the demeanour of the two women were shockingly familiar. Almost too familiar. "I'm glad to meet you both." She spoke softly. "I'm your commander as well as troop commander, so if you have any problems, you come to me."

"Yes, Lieutenant." They both replied quickly. Darjeeling flash a smile.

"Right, let's get down to business then." She said. "Ire- I mean, Carolyn, Diane, I want the two of you to resupply the Firefly with Amour Piercing and High Explosive Shells, as well as ammunition for the coaxial and the .50cal on the turret. Is that clear?" She spoke. Seeing the two nod then quickly disappear to the ammunition store, she turned to Assam. "We'll sort out the radios, and you sort out the gun sights."

As the two of them climbed up to the turret, and Darjeeling dropped down into her commander's seat, a surreal, dreamlike feeling entered her mind. She looked round the interior of the Firefly, towards the empty seats of where the loader and driver sat. She blinked, and suddenly her vision flashed back to the very moment when it happened.

The smell of burning metal, dust, and the sweet, sickly stench of blood filled her nostrils.

She looked down at the driver's seat. Once again, she saw the motionless body of Irene.

She slumped off the seat and onto the floor of the Firefly.

Her torso riddled with metal shrapnel; blood dripping from the multiple wounds that perforated her body and arms.

Darjeeling's eyes widened in shock, and absolute horror as her gaze slowly moved towards where Orange sat.

She was leaning against hull of the Firefly, her back to Darjeeling. However, she saw red steadily flow down, and form a small pool on the bottom of the tank. A large piece of shrapnel embedded deep into her leg, as blood spurted out on a regular basis.

Darjeeling couldn't help but stare blankly at the scene that was in front of her. Tears welled up in her eyes, and began to flow down her cheeks. They couldn't be gone, they couldn't be-

"Darjey!"

Assam's voice suddenly shattered the illusion that lay before Darjeeling's eyes. The horrific image that was in front of her was replaced with Assam, both hands on her shoulders, and shaking her slightly. Upon seeing Darjeeling snap back into reality, Assam sighed sadly and put an arm round her friend.

Darjeeling felt the hot tears drip down her face, down her cheek and onto her uniform. "I miss them…" She whispered to Assam.

The latter nodded, pulling Darjeeling close to her and into a warm, comforting hug. "I know Darjey… I know." She mouthed. "I miss them too…" Assam spoke, tears welling up in her own eyes as well. They stayed like this for a while, until Darjeeling looked up at her friend.

"And yet… I can't help but notice how familiar Diane and Carolyn are. To Orange and Irene." The latter spoke. Assam looked up as well.

"I've noticed that as well." She replied quietly. "When I was talking to them earlier, things seemed so… familiar."

Darjeeling nodded slowly, the truth slowly sinking into her once more. "But, the people we care about never really leave us." She whispered, a small, forlorn smile crossing her features before turning her back to Assam and tinkering on the radio as she tuned it to the new frequency. Putting on her headphones, she gestured Assam to do the same. "Can you hear me?"

Assam, putting her own headset on, nodded in reply. "Aye, Lieutenant." She replied, just as Diane's head appeared over the commander's hatch.

"We've got the ammunition, Lieutenant. Shall we start loading them now?"

The young officer took off her headphones, looked up at her and nodded. "That would be good." Darjeeling responded, standing up and receiving the a box of .50cal ammunition, in which she passed over to Assam.

A few more boxes of machinegun ammunition followed, then the shells for the 17pdr gun. By the time they were finished, Darjeeling's arms were aching as she put the last shell into the rack. This, coupled with the heat of the French countryside, allowed for a thin bead of sweat to run down her cheek. "I think we're done here." She stated, before climbing out through the hatch and jumping down onto the ground. Seconds later, Assam followed suit.

A few moments of silence followed, before Darjeeling spoke. "So, Carolyn, Diane. Have the two of you seen much combat? Or are you two straight out of tank school?"

Carolyn smirked a little. "I was literally shipped over just a few days ago, so I have not." The former turned to the loader.

"And you, Diane?"

She shook her head. "I'm the same as Carolyn." She replied softly. "I've only finished tank school a few weeks ago, and was shipped here to help replace crewmen that have been knocked out." Her brown eyes turned to glance at the Firefly. "What's combat like?" She asked, a slight hint of fear in her voice caught Darjeeling off guard. The latter sighed slightly. She could tell Diane was scared. And although Carolyn emanated an air of confidence, she felt a wave of uneasiness cross the latter's' features. After all, both of them knew that they were replacing two crewmen who had been killed in combat. And they both realised the same fate could behold them at any time.

"To be frank with you, combat isn't pretty." Darjeeling spoke. "I'm not going to lie to you. But, we are a team. Assam and I will look after you." Assam flashed a smile.

"As long as you remember your training, and perform your role to the best of your abilities, it is all that Lieutenant Darjeeling and I can ask for."

Darjeeling nodded. "Do your jobs, listen to orders, keep yourself alert and focused, and we will pull through the best we can." Her eyes turned to face each new crewmember in turn. "We are now a team. A family, even. We look after each other. We are there for one another. Never leave a fellow crewmember behind, are you clear?"

Both nodded. "Aye, Lieutenant."

"And always remember this." Darjeeling spoke. "We fight not only for the free world, and against an evil, oppressive regime. We fight for one another, for our own hopes and futures that we hope to realise." Her face smiled faintly. "And we will keep on going till the very end. Until this war is done." She slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. "But enough of the seriousness for now. Anyone care for a cigarette?" She knew she had to break the ice somehow; for now, Diane and Carolyn were crewmembers. But Darjeeling knew in time they would become like family. As she passed round the cigarettes, and hearing Assam initiate a conversation about they're own experiences, Darjeeling's mind began to wander. The sounds of conversations, then laughter drifted in and out of her ears. A singular thought strayed into her mind. Something she said only moments earlier.

"The people we care about never really leave us."

Her eyes glanced over at Assam, then at both Diane and Carolyn. She saw the three of them deeply engaged in conversations, Diane and Assam doubling over in laughter over something Carolyn said. A slight, sad smiled crept up Darjeeling's face. Orange and Irene were dead. She knew that. As much as she wished it wasn't the case, this was the reality. And yet, even with the new replacements, the dynamics between them and the new crewmembers seemed to not have changed. It had been less than an hour, yet Assam was in a deep conversation with the two of them, as if she had known them for quite a while.

As if she was talking amongst old friends.

The smile on Darjeeling's face grew a bit more. Perhaps she was right. The people she cared about may not have left her. In a way, Irene and Orange had not left her. In one way or another, they were still there. Her eyes wandered over to Assam. From her expression, she could tell that Assam also felt the same.

That Orange and Irene were still with the two of them. Still watching over them.

The young officer blinked and smiled at the thought. She brought the lit cigarette to her lips and took a breath, tilting her head back as she exhaled the wispy grey smoke. Something told her that she would get to know the two new crewmembers quite well, and that indeed, they would become a close knitted group. And that each of them would survive this war. Darjeeling smirked at the thought.

"Too early, Darjey, too early." She whispered to herself, before throwing the cigarette onto the floor and stamping it out with her boots. The thoughts still remained in her mind, but she cast them aside for the time being. They had a job to do. "Alright, listen up ladies." She spoke. "Captain Moore has told me that we will be moving off back to the frontline within a day or two. Therefore, it would be a good idea to ensure everything is in working order before we move off. We'll check the suspension, engines, and see if we need to refuel the Firefly, and we'll make some quick repairs or adjustments if needed. Are we clear?"

Assam nodded.

"Aye, Lieutenant." Both Carolyn and Diane replied.

Darjeeling smiled. Carolyn and Diane were still quite formal in their responses, but she knew with time, they would become much more comfortable and less uptight in terms of addressing her as an officer and see her as a friend and comrade. Darjeeling slowly rolled up her sleeves and smiled again.

"Let's get to work then. We've got a war to win."

---

17th August 1944, 2340 hours – German Headquarters near Aunay-sur-Audon

Maho rubbed her eyes sleepily as she leaned against the outside of the headquarters building, a glowing cigarette in her left hand. Taking a drag, she exhaled deeply and sighed with frustration. She, and the other officers had just been summoned, and were told of the division's next actions. And in her mind, it was a blessing, and also a curse.

The division had been in nonstop fighting for over two months, and their casualties had skyrocketed; they had lost countless men and Panzers. They were low on spare parts, meaning damaged tanks could not be repaired, further reducing the fighting capability of their division. Supply of ammunition was also scarce; thanks to the Allied air superiority, supplies were constantly being hampered and destroyed on-route, leading to shortages which again hampered their ability to fight. As a result, the German High Command had ordered the division back to Alençon, to allow the battered, weary and exhausted troops to rest, as well as to resupply and rearm.

"It's about time we were pulled back." She muttered under breath, taking another deep drag of the cigarette. "We've been on the line non-stop for two months." Sighing again, she tossed the cigarette onto the floor and gazed into the night sky. On the one side, pulling back to Alençon to rest and refit was a good thing; in her eyes, the division had been reduced to an ineffective fighting force that could barely sustain itself, let alone fight the enemy. Pulling back meant they could replace and repair their Panzers, let the exhausted troops get some rest, and get replacements and bolster up their troop strength. However, one the other side, it meant they would not play a role in preventing the allied forces from advancing any further through France since they would be away from the action. She could not play a part in actively defending her homeland. This frustrated her. But she knew it was inevitable. In her mind, the war was lost. It was only a matter of time before they would be pushed back to Germany. Maho closed her eyes and rubbed them with her hands. She was exhausted. She had been actively in the fighting for nearly a week, and had barely gotten any rest whatsoever. Oh, how she craved to just be able to sleep comfortably once more. To be able to sleep in an actual bed. To have hot showers. To be away from the hell and carnage that she faced every day. For a moment, the idea of being away from the fighting appealed to her.

However, the sound of footsteps against the cobbled ground caused her to break away from those thoughts, and she turned to face the source of the sound. Another female walked up towards her. Her short, pale brown hair which extended down to her shoulders blowing slightly in the night time breeze. "There you are, I've been looking for you!"

Maho smiled and looked at her younger sister. "I was speaking to High Command, Miho." She replied softly, allowing her sister to gently rest her head on the latter's shoulder. "Why are you up? I thought you wanted to get some rest." She asked, just as the rest of the officers slowly began to mill out of the headquarters building, causing Maho to gently nudge Miho's head, and the latter stood up straight again.

Miho sighed. "I can't sleep." She whispered.

Maho sighed slightly. "Why is that?"

"Nightmares." The former responded quietly.

The elder sister stared at the younger for a moment, unable to say anything. Tears welled up in her eyes as she pulled Miho into a gentle hug, holding her close to her body as the younger rested her head on Maho's shoulder once more. "They're not nice, are they?" Maho whispered, her voice dropping to a soft, motherly tone. Feeling Miho shake her head, her arms tightened around her younger sister. "I know what they're like… they're not nice at all." As she held Miho in her arms, Maho felt helpless; she wanted to comfort her, to reassure her sister, but she knew the horrors that Miho and herself had seen. And there was nothing she could do. They remained like this for a moment, before the two gently pulled away. "Let's find somewhere to sit down." Maho stated, and Miho nodded.

They soon found themselves sat down in an abandoned café; surprisingly, no soldiers had decided to hole up there to spend the night, so the two of them just sat down on the table, next to one another. For a moment, neither of them spoke or moved. They just sat there, enjoying the time they could spend together, which was, frankly, few and far between.

Maho took off her sidecap, and did the same to Miho, before running her hand slowly through the latter's hair, in an attempt to comb it with her fingers. She smiled faintly, before beginning to tie it into two braids, taking her time to be as careful and as precise as possible. Miho smiled. "You know, I can braid my own hair. I'm old enough to now." She playfully spoke.

Maho smiled faintly. "I know." She replied, taking out a hairclip from her pocket, and one from her own hair, before clipping the braids. "I still remember when you were much younger; I would do the same to you now." She paused to look at her handiwork. She did a much better job than last time, as this time she had taken her time to make it look as good as possible.

Miho nodded, her hands running down the braids before smiling softly. "And you still do as good as a job as mother did. Perhaps even better." She said, gently resting her head on her older sisters' shoulder once more. Maho, feeling the weight of the latter's head on her shoulder, smiled and put an arm round her. Once again, silence settled on the two; each just enjoying the company the other gave.

"The situation isn't good, is it." Miho suddenly spoke up, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I heard the men talking about it today. We don't have enough troops, and most of our Panzers are out of action. How are we supposed to fight like this?"

Maho turned to face her, surprised at the sudden question. "Simply put, we can't. That was what we were discussing earlier." She replied slowly. "We've lost too many men and equipment and tanks to be an effective fighting force. That's why we are being sent back to Alençon for refitting."

Miho's eyes widened. "We're being pulled off the line?" Maho nodded slowly.

"Yeah. We're being pulled back so we can undertake repairs, and get fresh soldiers and Panzers. We're pulling back tomorrow." She replied.

"And to think I was going to tell her." A voice emanated from the entrance.

Looking up, the two sisters saw Erwin standing in the doorway. She herself looked exhausted; her blonde hair was slightly unkept and messy, and she had thick, dark circles under her eyes. The latter looked at Maho, then Miho, and smiled in greeting. "May I join you both?" She asked. Seeing the two nod, she made her way in and pulled out a chair, before collapsing in it. "Command told me that as well as being pulled back to Alençon, we may actually get pulled back to Germany because of the extent of our losses."

Miho sighed. "So the men were right. We're in an untenable situation, aren't we." Erwin smiled slightly.

"For now, yes. But hopefully after the refitting, out fighting capabilities should be improved, and we'll be able to get back on track again." She spoke, choosing her words carefully to try and reassure Miho. But deep down, Erwin knew her words were just empty promises. Even if they could refit and get enough Panzers back into service, there was little they could do to stop the allied advance. The Normandy front was practically opened up, and the allied advance was growing ever quicker. In reality, there really wasn't much they could do. They couldn't reverse the situation, but only delay the inevitable for as long as possible. "Get some rest now, Miho. We've got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow." Erwin smiled as she put a hand on her shoulder. The former nodded, put on her sidecap. She turned to face her older sister. Maho smiled, and gently embraced her before Miho slowly left the building and disappeared into the darkness.

Maho and Erwin stood there for a moment in silence. Both knew how dire the situation was. In the end, it was the brunette who spoke first. "The Normandy front is lost, isn't it." Maho muttered, taking out another cigarette out of the packet and tossing it to Erwin. Lighting it up, she stared at the faint, orange glow before taking a deep drag. "The refitting isn't going to do us much good. Yes, we'll get new Panzers, but the irreplaceable losses are the crewmen. We've lost the most experienced crews we have. Yes, we can get replacements, but those men have been rushed through, and have little or no experience in actual fighting." She sighed, her weary, tired eyes looking at Erwin. "You really think we can salvage the situation?"

Erwin chuckled quietly, lighting her cigarette with her lighter. "Honestly? It's only a matter of time before we lose France. We can't stop them. We can delay them, but they will take Normandy, then Paris, then the entirety of France." She took a drag of the cigarette and exhaled slowly. "To be honest with you, I just want the war to end. I'm done with this crap. I just want to give up." She chuckled again. "But, we can't. We have an obligation to defend our home. Our people. Our way of life and culture. We have an obligation to defend those that we care about." Her eyes gently met Maho's as she spoke. "That's what's keeping me going."

Maho smiled faintly. "We just need to keep fighting. To fight for our country. To fight for Miho. To fight for you."

Erwin flashed a smile in response, and she slowly leaned forward, allowing her lips to meet Maho's cheek gently. "Get some rest, Maho. I'll see you tomorrow." She whispered. And with that, she slowly got up, and she herself walked back outside and into the pitch black darkness.

Maho's eyes followed the silhouette of Erwin momentarily, before sighing and resting her head on the table with her arms gently supporting her head. A thousand thoughts swirled through her head. She was tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of seeing comrades that she had got to know die. Tired of fighting a losing battle. She knew that the war was lost, and that it was only a matter of time before Germany would fall. All they were doing now was delaying the inevitable. She once again wondered at the point of it all. Why was she still fighting? Everything seemed lost. She might as well give up and-

"No." She spoke to herself. "I have to carry on. have to keep on going. For Miho. And for Erwin."

The war wasn't over yet. Although the situation seemed impossible, she had to keep going. And whilst she was still alive; whilst she still breathed the air on this earth, she knew what she had to do. Even though it seemed pointless, she had to fight.

For the Fatherland.

For those she loved.

---

Notes:

I'm back! And as promised, Chapter 13 is here and up! It has taken me quite a long time to write it (almost, if not more than a year). This was due to a multitude of factors; namely final year exams before going to university (Which is where I am now), plus the lack of inspiration and a really bad bout of writer's block. I know you all have been anticipating this chapter, and I've tried my best, given the circumstanes, to do it justice.

We are near the end of this Panzer Diary, so I've hoped you've all enjoyed the story! I am so honoured that many of you actually enjoy what I write, and find the time to read, enjoy and critique it as well! So, I must thank you all for making this possible~ Without your support I would not have continued writing this Panzer Diary.

Again, since now I am in university, I do not have much time at all to write, therefore any potential new chapters and/or Panzer Diaries will take much longer than they have in previous years. But, I hope you will continue to stay and read whatever I decide to churn out~~

So, until next time, I will see you all soon!~

As always, any reviews with constructive criticism will be welcome.

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